Local family mourns Connecticut loss

By REBECCA WEBSTER

Recorder News Staff

A local Broadalbin family is mourning the loss of a loved one today.

It has been confirmed by a relative that Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, the principal of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut who was one of the 26 killed during a massive shooting Friday, is a relative of local Broadalbin couple Lisa and Kevin Pfeiffer.

Lisa Pfeiffer is executive director of the United Way of Fulton County.

Hochsprung was also a student at the Esteves School of Education at the Sage Colleges in Troy.

Ardelle Hirsch, Director of Media and Public Relations for the Sage Colleges, said Saturday that Hochsprung was in their doctoral program and commuted from Connecticut.

"We've just been besieged by people," Hirsch said. "It's such a profoundly sad story."

Lori Quigly, dean of the Esteves school, said the program Hochsprung was in was highly competitive, letting in only 15 people a year.

Hochsprung spent Friday evenings and all day Saturday at the college in the "rigorous program" with her classmates, who are all school leaders, Quigly said, and because of that, all of the students were incredibly close.

"This has really hit them close to heart," she said. "They all are speaking so very highly of Dawn, her vivacious personality,that smile you see in the pictures, constant smile, and as individual who was in the program not for herself, but to better what she can do for the children that she served."

"She was a very special part of the program."

According to a news release from Connecticut State Police, the call came in at 9:30 a.m. Friday reporting a possible shooting at Hochsprung's elementary school in Newton, Conn.

It was later identified that 20 children, six adults, including Hochsprung, and the shooter, were killed during the massacre, the release said.

The shooter was identified as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, according to the Associated Press.